Spot curtain game for bowling alleys



April 5, 1949. G. A. HIESTER 2,466,103

SPOT CURTAIN GAME FOR BOWLING ALLEYS I 2 She ets-Sheet 1 Filed June 4-, 1947 INVENTOR.

RNEY

April 5, 1949. G. A. HiESTER 2,466,103

SPOT CURTAIN GAME FOR BOWLING ALLHYS Filed June 4, 194'! 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A 12/ I J a I Q .9 j; .93 {9) Z INVENTOR.

TTORN E-Y Patented Apr. 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPOT CURTAIN GAME FOR BOWLING ALLEYS George A. Hiester, Reading, Pa. Application June 4, 1947, Serial No. 752,330

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to an automatic device for raising and lowering curtains, and more particularly to a spot curtain game for bowling alleys.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a spot curtain game for bowling alleys including a mechanism for automatically and periodically raising and lowering a curtain.

Another object is to provide a novel means for periodically raising and lowering a curtain, in combination with additional manually operated mechanism to adjust the limits of movement of H said curtain.

In one of its broad aspects, the invention relates to a device for raising and lowering a curtain including an electric motor, a. toggle switch in circuit with said motor, a shaft rotatably driven by said motor, means controlled by said shaft to operate a curtain, and control means carried by, or associated with, said driven shaft to periodically engage the toggle of said toggle switch to reverse the operation of said motor and said driven shaft.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description thereof, and from the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views;

Figure 1 is a top plan view illustrating the curtain raising and lowering mechanism in combi V nation with a bowling alley and embodying the features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation view of raising and lowering mechanism;

the curtain Figure 3 is a. top plan view of the curtain raising and lowering mechanism, partly in section;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the device of the present invention, partly in section;

Figure 5 is a side elevation view as seen from the left in Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a wiring sketch switch connected in circuit with the motor and with a suitable source of electric power.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral v represents a E. M. C., 115 volt, A. C.D. C. motor, or a similar motor. A worm II is driven by m0 tor l0 and engages a worm wheel l2 which is keyed to a worm wheel shaft I3, which is rotatable therewith. The worm gear shaft l3 may be in one section, or may be in several sections suitably associated with each other, as is desired.

At one end of the worm gear shaft I3 is disposed a bearing or housing 14 suitably carried by showing the to gle a standard or brace 15 which is attached to a beam or other cross member It for purpose of support.

to the ceiling, as shown at 2111 in Figure 2, or to other upright standards.

The worm gear shaft I3 is journaled in the bearing. l4 and is keyed therein by means of a set-screw II which screws through a threaded aperture in said bearing to receive fastening members such as nails 19, to secure the bearing [4 to a which is similar in construction to hearing I4,

and is likewise provided with an enlarged head" which is secured to the opposite end portion I811,

by means of fastening elements of the drum 20 her l6 for support,

The worm wheel shaft I3 is suitably braced by means of an L-shaped standard 22 which is suitably secured to the upright member l5 by means or a threaded screw 23, or by any other desired 2 "means. The free end of member 22 carries bearing means 22a for supporting the shaft. Any

suitable means may be employed to brace or support the curtain raising and lowering mechanism v in position.

On the other end of the worm is disposed a threaded portion l3a. engages on said threaded portion sleeve comprises an threaded shank portion "26 and a. movable head 21 move on the external threads of the shank porl3a and said is apertured to receive a set screw any desired position.

A bracket 29 is carried by the motor Ill and is appropriately slotted at 30 to receive a shaft or finger 3| which engages the stationary head wheel shaft l3. The

threaded portion l3a of worm wheel shaft portion 13a.

The beam l6 may be suitably secured M. The bearing l4 has 10 an enlarged head portion [8 which is apertured I drum portion 20, which v carries on the opposite side thereof a bearing Ma, 1

The bearing Ma is carried in a standard I5a which is suitably secured to the cross memwheel shaft IS A sleeve 24 J internally and externally 25 with a stationary head which is adapted to tion 25 of the sleeve 24. The movable head 21 28 which looks the said head 21 against relative movement in" 2 6, of the sleeve 24, to hold the same stationary so I 45 that it will not turn with the rotation of the worm finger 3| is adapted to ride laterally back and forth in the slot 30, as the sleeve 24 moves backwards and forward along the the worm wheel shaft two pole, two throw, toggle switch 32 is mounted on the bracket 29 carried by the motor I0 so as to hold the said toggle switch 32 directly" over the sleeve 24 which rides along the threaded thereto, for operation therewith. The curtain: 1

2m may be made of any suitable material which is adapted to roll and unroll upon the drum por tion as it operates.

A plurality of spots generally indicated by the numeral 2| 1) are disposed:

on the curtain Zla and generally represent the versal of the operation of the motor In, the worm ll reverses its direction of rotation to correspondingly reverse the direction of rotation of the worm wheel 12 to likewise reverse the rotation of the worm wheel shaft l3. The reversal of the rotation of the worm wheel shaft l3 causes the sleeve 24 to reverse its direction of lateral movement along the threaded portion l 30. to thus cause; the head21 to engage the toggle :33 and to again cause the reversal '.,of the direction of operation of the motor l0, after the sleeve 24 :has traveled through a sufilcient distance so that the head 21 can throw the toggle 33.

The curtain 2Ia may be automatically and peiio'dlcally raised and lowered between certain limits: depending upon the adjustment of the movable head 27 of the sleeve 24. Movement of spots for ten bowling pins which are disposed at the bottom of the bowling alley as is convern tional in the game of ten pins.

Any suitable supporting member or brace may be employed to secure the drum portion Ill and curtain over the bowling alley for use in combination therewith. This particular feature is not a part of the invention described in detail.

Referring to Figure 6, there is shown a schematic wiring diagram with the motor H] in circuit with the toggle switch 32, including the toggle 33. .Power may be furnished to drive the motor by any suitable source. It is preferred that the motor 10 be operated by a remotely controlled press button switch, which is connected into the circuit with said motor and may be operatedf-rom a position near the bowlers seats at the bowling alley.

In operation, the curtain raising and lowering mechanism is positioned in combination with a bowling alley so that the curtain 21a is disposed over the bowling alley, and the ten :pins generally represented by the letter P are hidden from the view of the bowler.

The curtain 2l'a may be disposed anywhere along the bowlingalley, but it is preferable that it be disposed from forty to forty-five 'feet from the :foul line. bowling game, the bowler picks a certain spot upon the curtain Zia as represented by the numerals 2! b. In other words, the bowler picks a spot on said curtain Zla without actually seeing the ten pins P when the ball leaves his hand at the foul line. By operation of a push button switch disposed :near the bowlers seats, the curtain is raised so that the ball passes thereunder and the bowler can see how the ball hits the pins P, having in mind that the ball was pointed toward a certain spot on the curtain 21a. By constant practice, the bowler can improve his bowling game through this spot curtain bowling method.

In the operation of the curtain raising and lowering mechanism, as the push button is operper se, so it has not been,

In employing the spot curtain rotation of the ated near the bowlers seats, the motor ll] is energized, which in turn rotates the worm l l, which:

is engaged with the worm wheel I2, which is keyed to the shaft l3. The shaft I 3 is thus ro tated turning the drum 210 to either elevate or lower the curtain 2! or depending upon the direc tion of rotation of the wormgear shaft 13. As the worm gear shaft l3 rotates, the finger 3| holds the sleeve 24 against rotation therewith. causing the sleeve 24 to travel along the threaded portion 13a, for example to permit the head 2-6 of the sleeve 24 to engage the toggle as and to reverse the operation of the motor Ill. Upon re will'be apparent to those the head?! closer to the head 26 of the sleeve 24 will cause the curtain 2|a to be raised and the length of the curtain 2'lawhich is ,periodi cally rolled and unro'lled by the operation of the motor Ill. 7

Various modifications of the present invention skilled in the art without departing from the spirit thereof, and it is therefore desired to .be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a bowling alley having spots .for pins, of aspot curtain game comprising a reversible electric motor, a two-pole, two-throw toggle reversing switch in circuit with said motor, a worm driven by said motor, a worm gear shaft having a worm gear keyed thereto with rth tteeth of said worm gear engaging said worm, a curtain .roll'er shaft mounted above the bowling alley and between the pin spots and the head of the alley and coupled to one end of said worm gear shaft and rotatable therewith, at ourtain carried by said curtain roller and adapted to roll and unroll, said curtain having a plurality threaded portions and provided with two heads threadedly engaging the threaded portion of said worm gear shaft, a finger carried by said sleeve, means for preventing rotation of said finger with I shaft while permitting sliding,

the worm gear movement thereof so that said finger prevents sleeve'with said worm gear shaft butpermits movement of said sleeve along the "threaded portion of said worm gear shaft, one of said heads being movable and being internally threaded and in threaded engagement with the externally threaded, portion of saidsleeve, said movable head having a threaded aperture, and a set screw engaging in the threaded aperture in said movable head and engaging said sleeve to lockthe mnvablehead in position, said toggle switch having a lever disposedbetween the two heads on said sleeve for lalternateengagement by the heads to reverse the operation of said motor and said curtain roller shaft. 7

2. The combination with a bowling alley having spots for pins, of :a spot curtain game com- ;prising a reversible electric motor, .a toggle :re-

versing switch in :circuitwith said motor, a worm driven by said motor, a worm :gear shaft having :a

portion at the other end thereof, a sleeve having internally and externally tween the pin spots and the head of the alley and coupled to one end of said worm gear shaft and rotatable therewith, a curtain carried by said curtain roller and adapted to roll and unroll, said curtain having a plurality of spots thereon having an arrangement corresponding to that of the pins, said worm gear shaft having a threaded portion on its other end, a control means including a sleeve threadedly engaging the threaded portion of said worm gear shaft and a pair of spaced apart heads carried by said sleeve, said toggle switch having a lever disposed between said heads, and means for preventing rotation of said sleeve on the threaded portion of the worm gear shaft but permitting longitudinal movement of the sleeve and heads with respect to said worm gear shaft so that the heads will alternately engage the lever of the toggle switch upon rotation of the worm gear shaft to reverse the operation of said motor and said curtain roller shaft.

3. The combination with a bowling alley having spots for pins, of a spot curtain game comprising a reversible electric motor, a reversing switch in circuit with said motor, a shaft driven by said motor, a curtain roller mounted above the bowling alley and disposed between the pin spots and the head of the alley, a curtain carried by said roller and having a plurality of spots thereon having an arrangement corresponding to that of the pins, means for driving said roller from said shaft, and control means operatively connected to said driven shaft for operation in response to rotation thereof to periodically actuate said switch to reverse the direction of operation of said motor and said curtain roller.

4. For use with a bowling alley having spots for pins, a spot curtain game comprising a reversible electric motor, a toggle reversing switch 6 in circuit with said motor, a worm driven by said motor, a worm gear shaft having a worm gear keyed thereto and in mesh with said worm, a curtain roller shaft adapted to be mounted above the bowling alley between the pin spots and the head of the alley and coupled to one end of said worm gear shaft and rotatable therewith, a curtain carried by said curtain roller for rolling and unrolling, said curtain having a plurality of spots thereon having an arrangement corresponding to that of the pin spots on the bowling alley, said curtain adapted to conceal the ten pins from the bowler until the bowler has released the bowling ball, and a control means operatively connected to the worm gear shaft for operation in response to rotation thereof for periodically actuating the toggle switch to periodically reverse the direction of the operation of said motor.

GEORGE A. HIESTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,295,413 Barnett Feb. 25, 1919 1,548,437 Boucher Aug. 4, 1925 1,696,368 Strouse Dec. 25, 1928 1,746,458 Bollinger Feb. 11, 1930 1,795,745 Twiss Mar. 10, 1931 1,849,255 Starr Mar. 15, 1932 1,853,704 Standow Apr. 12, 1932 2,268,969 Stokes Jan. 6, 1942 2,330,268 Cloutier Sept. 28, 1943 2,347,845 Schane May 2, 1944 

